In 5 years, Ahmedabad Civil Hospital crosses 1,000 organ, tissue donations

Ahmedabad: A family from Sankheda donated organs of a 60-year-old brain-dead patient, Ramesh Tadvi, to the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital on Monday, helping the hospital cross 1,000 organ and tissue donations. The doctors retrieved two kidneys, two corneas and a liver to give a new lease of life to those in waiting. The organs will be transplanted at the hospital.Medical superintendent Dr Rakesh Joshi said the hospital reached the 1,000-donation mark in five years and 87 days. "The donations include 767 organs and 233 tissues. It is a major milestone not only for a public-sector hospital but also for the state's health sector. The donation pool included 232 patients who were declared brain-dead and 86 donors who were declared dead," he said. According to officials, the youngest donor was 15 years old, while the oldest was 81. In 2021, the hospital recorded 70 cadaver donations, the highest number in any year, accounting for 30% of the total. Nearly 39% of cadaver donations came from the 41-60 age group. Dr Joshi said growing awareness about organ donations and the sustained efforts of counsellors have contributed to the rise in donations. These counsellors speak to families of brain-dead patients and encourage them to consider donation to save lives. Dr Abhishek Barot, a counsellor at the Civil Hospital trauma centre, said the most difficult part is helping families understand brain death. "Families are often dealing with intense emotions while also coming to terms with the fact that the treatment has ended and that their loved one will not recover. The decision of cadaver donation for organ retrieval is taken collectively in consultation with the patient's extended family as well," he said. Recalling a case from last year, Dr Barot said counsellors held around seven counselling sessions over 24 hours after a woman's death. "The family finally agreed to donate her organs," said Barot, who has counselled about 100 families so far.